Different types of saddles such as all-purpose saddles, dressage saddles and jumping saddles are used in equestrian sports, particularly in the English equestrian sports. An all-purpose saddle is a compromise of a jumping saddle and a dressage saddle, whose twist, i.e. lowest point, is substantially in the middle of the seat. The twist of the dressage saddle is also substantially in the middle of the seat, whereas the twist of the jumping saddle is a bit behind the middle of the seat.
The construction of saddles for riding animals has been virtually unchanged in the course of time. The most original form is the Bock saddle which was used as a transport saddle, load saddle or pack saddle. It was made of two shelves which were butted against the animal body on the left side and right side and connected together at the front and the back by means of girths. The Bock saddle has been padded with cushions and blankets in order to use it as a riding saddle. Since the 18th century, a saddle tree is used which serves as a support or frame for a saddle for sitting on the back of a riding animal or pack animal, such as horses, ponies or donkeys.
EP 2 159 187 A1 describes an exemplary saddle tree having a supporting side for applying to a back of a riding animal or pack animal, a top side facing away from the supporting side, a gullet for forming the gullet width of the saddle and a gullet plate for stabilizing the gullet running transverse to the length of the saddle tree along the gullet wherein the gullet plate is arranged at the top side. The material of the gullet plate has to meet high strength requirements as it is subject to high mechanical loads.
In order to achieve a great accuracy of fit of a saddle tree or a saddle, the saddle tree is being adapted as optimally as possible to the back of the riding animal or pack animal which shall be saddled, particularly to the form of its withers, the musculature of the animal, the animal variety, congenital abnormality, etc., taking into account the physical constitution of the rider, particularly the size and weight. Different styles of riding or purposes also require individual designed saddle trees in order to prevent or minimize harm to health of the rider and of the riding animal or pack animal.
In practice, saddle trees are offered in a large number of different sizes and different gullet widths. The gullet width of the saddle tree can be modified by adapting or replacing the gullet plate. The adaptation can be performed by bending up, respectively widening, or compressing, respectively narrowing, the gullet plate. The specialist or saddler usually uses an adjusting device to adjust the gullet plate. It is particularly costly in terms of labor and time-consuming to adapt or replace the gullet plate. Afterwards, the cushions of the saddle have to be adapted in many cases. The rigid and inflexible fork construction of the saddle head and of the gullet plate provide a secure hold for the rider only if there is an optimal fit of the saddle tree or saddle on the back of an animal.
In case that the saddle tree is made from a solid material, for example wood, the saddle tree has a saddle head made of a stable, rigid, and solid material and the adaption of the saddle tree to the horse back is achieved by adding or removal of saddle tree material, which is time consuming and costly.
A saddle tree or a saddle which does not fit or does wrongly sit may hinder the motion of the animal or injure the animal while riding. Furthermore, the saddle is not sufficiently fixed on the animal back whereby the rider is not able to establish an optimal connection to the animal and the saddle may slip.
In the equestrian field a rider usually purchases a custom-made saddle for each riding animal. This accounts for the fact that riding animals have a different anatomical physique particularly in the area of the saddle support. Riding animals such as horses often have an asymmetry which is commonly known as the good and the bad hand. The asymmetry of the riding animal can be, for example, birth-related, inherited or acquired. The birth-related asymmetry is generally the result of a lack of physical activity directly after the birth of the riding animal. The acquired asymmetry is often caused by insufficient exercise of the riding animal during the rearing phase or by injuries and afterwards a prolonged relieving posture. An asymmetry caused by riding may further occur due to a missing or incorrect gymnastic development of the riding animal or pack animal. The term gymnastic development refers to the work with a riding animal on the basis of scientific knowledge of the anatomy, physiology and psychology of the animal.
Different measuring systems are used to measure the back of the riding animal or pack animal particularly the area of the saddle support. The saddlers particularly determine the form of the trapezius to the left and right of the withers of the riding animal or pack animal, the shape of the back muscles particularly on the left and right of the spinal process, and the backrest form of the riding animal and pack animal i.e. whether the back is straight or curved. Furthermore, both the shoulder sections and gullet width of the riding animal or pack animal are measured. This procedure has the disadvantage that the individual manufactured saddle tree and saddle with such a saddle tree is suitable only for a specific riding animal or pack animal and in the event of a change of the anatomic shape of the back the costly made tailored saddle does not fit any more.
There is a need for the rider at the moment that a check and examination has to be carried out when a new saddle for a particular riding animal or pack animal is purchased and also afterwards in regular intervals to determine whether the saddle fits as optimally as possible on the back of the riding animal or pack animal. In practice, an adaptation of the saddle tree or the saddle must be carried out in case of a change of weight, musculature or age of the riding animal or pack animal.
The object of the present disclosure is therefore to provide a seat support device suitable for a riding animal or a pack animal, a saddle tree and a saddle with such a saddle tree for a riding animal or a pack animal which enables a variety of industrial applications, which can be used on differently shaped back areas and withers without restricting or impeding the freedom of movement of the riding animal or pack animal, which enables a secure fixation of the saddle on the back of the riding animal or pack animal without producing partial pressure points, which provides an improved distribution of the forces acting on the riding animal or pack animal and with which the disadvantages of the state of the art can be overcome.